Second Thoughts
by Deandra
Summary: A rude comment drives a wedge between Elfwine of Rohan and Dariel of Gondor. Can the damage be undone? Part 21 of the Elfwine Chronicles, though this is a 7 chapter story.
1. Default Chapter

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Part 21 of the Elfwine Chronicles. The Elfwine Chronicles are a series of one-shots built around the family group of Eomer, Lothiriel and Elfwine. The total number will depend on how many ideas I get for new vignettes.

**_A/N: Well, here it is_** – **_that long story about Elfwine I mentioned I was writing. I debated whether to include it as part of the Elfwine Chronicles, or make it a stand-alone story, and finally decided to keep all of the stories under the Elfwine Chronicles umbrella. So this is Part 21 of the Elfwine Chronicles. There are 7 chapters in it. I never really say so specifically in the story, but I see Eldarion as being 16, Elfwine is 15 and Dariel is 14. Maybe NOW I can go do Harry Potter for a bit! I find it hard to focus on two different "worlds" at once, but you may still see an Elfwine Chronicle here and there. And who knows, maybe I will finally finish my other HP story._**

**Second Thoughts**

**(June, 16 IV) **

**Chapter 1**

"I really cannot imagine anyone wanting to live in Rohan!" she blithely told her friends. "From what I've heard about the place, it is simple and rustic, practically barbaric."

Suddenly she realized her friends had stiffened, and then she sensed that someone was behind her. Warily she turned and found herself face to face with Elfwine, the Prince of Rohan.

He struggled to keep his face impassive as he told her quietly, "Most people prefer to see a place for themselves before they pass judgement on it, my lady." His eyes reflected something and, after a moment, she realized it was hurt. Her words had stung him. He gave a polite bow and moved quickly away. Unexpectedly, she felt like the barbaric one.

The other girls gave nervous titters at what had just occurred, each no doubt glad she had not been the one caught with her foot in her mouth. But Dariel could not find any humor in it. The look on his face had been far greater censure than anything he could have said, and all she felt was shame. She excused herself and hurried from the room, seeking solitude away from the party.

She took refuge in one of the nearby gardens, trying to fight back the tears that were threatening. She had been unforgiveably rude just now, and no doubt her parents would have harsh words for her when they found out. She didn't know why she had even said it, repeating what she had heard someone else say. Truthfully, she had always been curious about Rohan, and hoped that one day she could travel there with her parents and see the place in person. It wasn't likely that Rohan would ever extend her a warm welcome now.

A sound behind her alerted her to another presence, and she rubbed hastily at her face trying to hide the evidence of her tears. A familiar voice said quietly, "So, little sister, I hear you managed to embarrass yourself – royally."

She turned and glared at her brother, Eldarion, though in the dark he probably couldn't see it. "Ha, ha! Very funny! Can you not just leave me alone in my misery?" She turned away as more tears pricked her eyes.

He moved closer and slipped an arm around her shoulders, "If I did that, whose shoulder would you cry on?" He pulled her to him and she could not hold back any longer.

When her sobs eased, she murmured, "Mother and Father will kill me!"

"Not if you dry your tears and act appropriately – by going to apologize to Elfwine. They will be disappointed that it happened, but at least you will redeem yourself somewhat with your contrition."

She sighed, "How can I face him? It was such a rude thing to say, and he was hurt by it. I could see it in his eyes."

"He will be more hurt if you never acknowledge your error with an apology. I will go with you, if you like."

The thought of facing Elfwine left a sick feeling in her stomach, but it wasn't going to get any better if she just tried to ignore it. At least if she apologized, there was hope he might forgive her. "I would like that," she answered. "Could we go now? Before I lose whatever courage I have?"

He nodded and turned back to the main hall, but kept his arm firmly about her shoulders. Once they reached the doors to the hall, he paused to survey the room from his greater height until he located Elfwine, sitting alone in a secluded corner. Gently he steered her in that direction.

Elfwine did not immediately look up at their approach, seemingly lost in his own thoughts, but then he became aware of them standing in front of him. When he lifted his eyes and saw who was there, a shadow passed over his face and he struggled to present an emotionless countenance to them.

"Elfwine, my sister has something she would like to say to you. Will you hear her?" Eldarion asked.

Elfwine glanced at her, then back at Eldarion, "Has she not said enough already?"

Dariel winced; she deserved that. With a gulp, she plunged in, "My lord, I am so very sorry for my cruel words. You are right – I know nothing about Rohan and have no reason to judge her harshly. Please forgive me my folly." Her nerve failed her then and she looked down at her feet, unable to meet his eyes.

Elfwine shifted uneasily in his chair. He had not expected an apology, at least not unless her parents forced her into one. But she did seem truly sorry about it so, with a sigh, he yielded, "You are forgiven. Perhaps one day you will have an opportunity to see Rohan firsthand and can judge for yourself." He stood up nervously, bowed and excused himself.

Dariel watched him leave the party and sighed, "He said I am forgiven, but in his heart I do not think I truly am."

Eldarion kissed her head and replied, "Then I suppose you will have to make it up to him on our trip to Rohan."

"What? What trip to Rohan?" she exclaimed.

"It was just decided today. We are traveling there for a fortnight. We will make the journey when Elfwine's family departs."

She groaned, "Perfect. Why did you not mention this before? I have to spend a month in his company with him hating me!"

Eldarion chuckled, "Or you can spend a month getting back in his good graces by convincing him you are not so hopeless as you sometimes seem!"

She swatted at him, but he easily dodged it. Laughing, he told her, "Sleep well, little sister. We leave in three days."

With that, he moved back to rejoin the party, and Dariel was left standing alone and discouraged. This was going to be a very long month, but perhaps Eldarion was right. If she acted better from here on out, maybe Elfwine would eventually forgive her completely.

xxxxx

Dariel was relieved that her parents never mentioned the incident, but she couldn't help dreading it would still come up at some point. There wasn't much that they didn't know about, especially her mother. She had seen little of Elfwine and, when she had, he was polite but distant. Her father had often warned her about controlling her tongue; this wasn't the first time she had spoken in haste and then regretted it. Now, she was learning the bitter lesson better than she ever wanted to.

As Eldarion had said, they departed Minas Tirith three days later on the trek westward. With no other girls her age on the trip, she felt somewhat out of place. Eldarion and Elfwine had long been good friends and enjoyed each other's company, and the younger children all played well together. Elfwine's oldest sister was staying with her aunt and uncle in Ithilien for the summer, so Dariel was left to herself. With nothing better to do, she spent most of her time helping her mother and Lady Lothiriel keep an eye on the younger children.

As they crossed the border into Rohan, the scenery changed somewhat, and the landscape became a bit more wild and untamed. But she could see a rugged beauty in it that she had not imagined. She had done little traveling in her life, other than within Gondor, mainly to Ithilien or Dol Amroth. It was rather exciting to realize she was in an entirely different country now. She tried to spend at least a few hours a day in the saddle so she could get a good view of things, but she was not enough of a rider to be able to tolerate more than that. Even that little tended to leave her a bit sore at day's end, but traveling in the carriages caused her to miss too much.

They were half way through their journey on a pleasant, sunny day. Most of the children had fallen asleep after the midday meal break, and Dariel was using their slumber time to get in a little more riding and sightseeing.

All at once she became aware of much shouting and alarm arising around her. It took a few moments to make sense of the yells, but finally she realized that they were under attack. Not sure what to do, she sat there terrified waiting for someone to instruct her.

Then she saw them – ugly, scabby creatures bellowing and running at their group. The men were endeavoring to encircle the camp and drive them away from the women, children and carriages. She could see her father and King Eomer leading the return attack on the creatures, and still no one seemed aware of her or inclined to come to her aid.

One of the creatures broke past a Rider of Rohan and charged screeching toward her. Her horse reared in alarm, then bolted off in the opposite direction. Dariel stayed in the saddle, but was unable to hold back a scream of horror as she realized she had no control over the panicked beast. Sawing at the reins accomplished nothing and finally, in terror, she gave up the attempt and clung to the horse's mane, concentrating on staying seated on the animal.

She did not know how long her horse ran. Her fear was so great it seemed an eternity, though probably was only a few minutes. Suddenly she was aware of something racing up alongside her. She let out another scream before she realized it was a horse from their party; then it registered that it was Elfwine. He urged his horse faster until he was alongside her. She glanced at him with frightened eyes, wondering what he was going to do. A moment later, his right arm snaked over around her waist and pulled her from the saddle. With a gasp of terror, she screamed and grabbed frantically for his neck. Was he completely mad?

But then she realized he was holding her securely beside him and slowing his horse to a stop. As the horse halted, he lowered her to the ground, and she dropped to her knees, her legs too shaky to hold her. He quickly jumped off and came around to her side. "Are you all right? Are you hurt?"

Unable to form a sentence, she shook her head at the latter question and tried to slow her breathing. He knelt beside her, one hand gently rubbing her back in a way that she found surprisingly soothing. Slowly the fear dissipated sufficiently for her to regain her voice, "Thank you!"

He just smiled, and stood, "Do you think you are up to going back? I do not think it safe for us to linger out here alone. There may be more orcs around."

Quickly she bolted to her feet, "Let us go!"

He restrained a grin at her panic, and helped her onto his horse then climbed up behind her. She wasn't sure why, but when he slipped his arms around her waist to reach for the reins, she got a nervous twinge in her stomach. Too much excitement for one day, no doubt.

He turned back toward the company and nudged his horse into a gallop. She had never ridden with a boy before, and she found it surprisingly intimate having him pressed close to her. She could not restrain a blush, and was glad he was behind her and couldn't see it.

They soon neared their party, and her father rode toward them, relief etched on his face. "My deepest thanks, Elfwine. Dariel, are you all right?"

"I am unharmed, Father. Just frightened." A thought suddenly came to her, "What about my horse?"

King Eomer rode up just then, flanked by two Riders. He nodded to them and they took off in the direction her horse had gone. "Do not worry. My men will bring him back. I think it likely you will want to ride in the carriage for now, anyway. Until your nerves settle."

She nodded, blushing slightly again. Elfwine dismounted and helped her down, then walked her to the carriage. Before he could turn to go, she caught his arm, "Elfwine…thank you."

He nodded and gave her a half smile. She had a feeling he still did not trust her, but his manner seemed slightly less guarded than it had been. Perhaps she _could_ redeem herself eventually.

xxxxx

The remainder of the journey passed peacefully, for which Dariel was very grateful. She had no desire to ever see an orc again.

The evening before they were due to reach Edoras, she caught a glimpse of Elfwine, off by himself on a small hill. He was staring into the distance, and her curiosity got the better of her. She climbed slowly up to join him. As she drew nearer, she could see off in the distance a city on a hill. The setting sun was still lighting it and it glimmered in the sun's rays.

"Is that Edoras?" she asked.

Elfwine jumped slightly, startled at her presence, then nodded. "My home," he said softly. All growing up he had known how much this city and this country meant to his father, and that as heir to the throne he was expected to feel the same way. He had never given the matter much thought before now, but at this moment his heart was full and he knew his parents had managed to instill their love of Rohan in him.

"We will arrive tomorrow, will we not?" Dariel questioned. She already knew the answer, but felt she needed to make some conversation and it was all she could think of.

He had almost forgotten she was there, so lost was he in his own reverie. He nodded again, "Yes. We should reach the city gates by late afternoon, if all goes well." Finally, he lowered his gaze from the distant hill and turned back toward the campsite.

Impulsively, Dariel reached out and caught his arm. When his eyes met hers, she said quietly, "I truly am sorry about what I said of Rohan, Elfwine. It was stupid of me. Rohan is a beautiful country with wonderful, brave people."

He sighed, realizing her ill-advised comment was still as fresh in her mind as in his. He gave her a half smile and held out his arm, "We should be getting back for supper." Her lips hesitantly curled upward as well, not sure what to make of his expression.

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End note: It is not essential that you read the Elfwine Chronicles in the order they were written, but there is an advantage to doing so. The more of them that I wrote, the more likely I was to make reference to one of the previous ones and something that happened there. If you want to read them in order, go to the top of this page and click on my name (Deandra). That will take you to my profile page. Scroll down and you will find all the stories I have written. The Elfwine Chronicles are in order from bottom to top since ffn shows them in the order they were posted. A few were posted out of number order (#15 came after #17, I think), but you can read them in posting order or number order since those few won't be affected in the story content.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Replies to reviewers:_**

**_Tracey – It kind of got buried in my opening Author's Note for Chapter 1, so it isn't surprising you missed it – Eldarion is 16, Elfwine 15 and Dariel 14. The story isn't really from any one perspective since that means I can let you know what everyone is thinking (if I want to!). If I do it only from a single perspective, then you only get to know what that one person sees/hears/knows. There will be times it reflects what Dariel is thinking, times when it is Elfwine and times when it is someone else. _**

**_Jazzcat – Thanks for the kind words! Glad you are enjoying this. I didn't think Elfwine was all that sullen – he just had his feelings hurt, is all. He'll be more affable later on. Enjoy your vacation! _**

**Second Thoughts**

**Chapter 2**

Edoras was nothing like Dariel had envisioned it, and she found herself trying to take everything in at once. It was very different than Minas Tirith, that was certain. Emblems of horses were everywhere, and seemingly on everything. The people appeared to be simple and honest and, though at first she thought of them as peasants, she began to see they had a quiet dignity about them and it humbled her.

She was surprised when Eldarion rode up alongside her. He had spent most of his time with Elfwine or the men during the trip. He noticed her curious look and explained, "Elfwine and the men had to ride on ahead and prepare to receive us." He was quiet a moment, then asked, "So, how does it go with Elfwine? Has he forgiven you yet?"

"I cannot be sure. Sometimes I think he has and sometimes I am not at all certain about it. And I truly wish Mother and Father would say something to me about it and get it over with. I cannot believe they do not know about what I said and will not punish me."

"Or perhaps they feel you are grown enough to correct your own mistakes. Maybe they have seen you seeking to make amends and are trusting you to continue to do so until the matter is resolved."

She blinked at him in surprise. The thought had never occurred to her that her parents might be allowing her to rectify this mistake instead of forcing her into it. At once, she felt a flood of pleasure and pride that they might do so. She did not want to disappoint them. Eldarion noted the brighter smile on her face and concealed his own grin. He didn't mention to her that he had suggested this course of action to his parents, making them aware how remorseful she was at having hurt Elfwine with her remarks.

A few moments later, they reached the bottom of the steps up to Meduseld. Though far less grand than the stone halls of the Citadel at Minas Tirith, the Golden Hall was unmistakably stately in its own way. Dariel found it a bit startling to climb the steps toward the royal family at the top. Elfwine stood with his parents, mimicing his father's stance. She had known he was the Prince of Rohan and heir to the throne, but somehow not until she saw him thus did it really sink in. She supposed it was similar to never thinking of her brother in that way either. He was just her brother, and Elfwine was just Elfwine, a boy from Rohan.

Her parents and Elfwine's went through some formal rigamarole that she always found boring, so she let her gaze wander about her. The view from atop Meduseld was breathtaking. All of Rohan was spread at your feet, and her eyes swept over it while the wind whipped her hair about her face. Suddenly she was aware of someone in front of her and realized she had not been paying attention. Elfwine had his arm extended to her and was looking at her questioningly. Apparently, he was escorting her somewhere and she had failed to notice. Blushing slightly, she ducked her head and took his arm, allowing him to lead her wherever they were headed.

He ushered her into a long hall that obviously was the main throne hall of Meduseld. A large fire burned in the center, and there were tall wooden columns and numerous tapestries. She did not recognize any of the stories that seemed to be depicted in them, but again everything appeared to involve horses in some fashion.

They followed her parents out into a corridor that ran adjacent to the main hall and walked for some distance to the living quarters. Her parents were shown into one room and Elfwine opened a door for her on the one next to it. "I hope you will be comfortable here, my lady. I will send a servant to check on you shortly and find out if there is anything you need."

She nodded silently, caught off-guard by his formality. He bowed and left, closing the door behind him, and she went to be seated on the bed. Everything in the room was carved with horses, and animal skins covered the floor. It was a simple room, but struck her as very snug. Too often rooms in Minas Tirith were cold and stark.

A knock sounded at the door and she opened it to find servants with her belongings. They carried them in and departed, one girl remaining. "Shall I put your things away for you, my lady?"

She nodded shyly. The girl seemed little older than she, and it was strange to see her working at so young an age.

"My name is Tamwen, my lady. I will be assisting you while you are here. Anything you need, just ask me," the girl chattered, as she opened trunks and tucked things in drawers and the wardrobe.

Dariel felt awkward watching her work, and finally began helping her, laying out her hairbrush and hair ties on the dresser. She hadn't been sure what to pack for this trip, and she had a feeling she had brought far too much. She began hanging her dresses in the wardrobe, running her hand down one with a sigh. The women of the town had been dressed much more simply than this. She would be embarrassed going around town in her finery. On the other hand, Queen Lothiriel wore fine dresses, so she supposed she would need them at least some of the time.

As Tamwen put the last few things away, and set her trunks outside the door for storage elsewhere, she asked, "What happens now? Is there somewhere I am supposed to go?"

Tamwen shook her head, "I do not know, miss, but I will find out. Supper will be shortly. Perhaps you would like to rest until then? I will go find out and come back to let you know."

Dariel nodded as she left the room, then moved to look out the window. There was a fine vista of mountains and plains from her window, and she could not deny Rohan's beauty. While much different than Gondor, this wild, untamed land had great appeal.

Tamwen soon returned saying there was nowhere she needed to be, and encouraged her to rest after the long day's travel. When Dariel nodded, she left the room, and Dariel stood wondering what to do. She did not really feel like napping, and wondered if it would be rude for her to explore her surroundings. Feeling too restless to stay put, she decided to risk it and moved out the door.

Once in the hall, however, her mind suddenly went blank, and she realized she had paid no attention to how she got to the room in the first place. Was the main hall left or right? She considered a moment, then took a deep breath and turned right. The corridor seemed to go on forever, turning every so often, and the doors all looked alike. At last she came to a stop, thoroughly confused. Nothing looked even remotely familiar, so she decided to return to her room, but then she realized she didn't know which one it was. She had walked quite a ways, but how many doors, and how was she to recognize it.

Then, to her embarrassment, Elfwine came up some stairs to her left and stopped abruptly at the sight of her. "Dariel? What are you doing here?"

She tried to be humorous, to ease her discomfort, "Visiting Rohan – remember?"

"In the servants area?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She blushed and admitted, "All right, then, I am lost. I was trying to go back to the main hall and explore a little, but I did not remember how to get there."

He gave her his usual half smile and politely offered, "Then let me show you the way. What did you wish to see on your exploration?"

She shrugged as she walked beside him back the way she had come, "It does not matter. I was just too restless to stay in my room until supper. Not to mention, I do not think I could even find my room again. I do not know which door it is. They all look alike."

He grinned, "It is right there." He pointed to the third door ahead of them on their left. "See the horse above it?"

"Elfwine, they _all_ have horses above them!"

He gave her a puzzled look, "But each horse is different. The one over your door is a mare. It depicts one of the Mearas."

She was a little annoyed with him, "I am sorry. Maybe that means something to you, but to me it is just a horse head, like all the other ones over all the other doors."

Apparently he recognized that she was showing her frustration rather than being rude, and he pondered a moment. "Give me one of the ribbons from your hair," he said suddenly.

"Why?"

"You will see. Just do it."

She eyed him suspiciously, but did as he bid her. He disappeared into her room and returned with a chair. Climbing upon it, he tied the ribbon around the horse's head, then hopped down with a flourishing bow. "_Now_ does your door look different?"

She let out a laugh, "Very much so! Thank you!" He returned her grin, and replaced the chair in her room.

"So, that only leaves exploring. Inside or outside?"

She shrugged again, "I do not know. I do not know what there is to be seen."

He gazed off down the hall, lost in thought, then suggested, "I have an idea. Come with me."

Elfwine continued down the hall, in the direction they had been going, and a few moments later they were back in the Golden Hall. He crossed it quickly, and she had to hurry to keep up with his long strides. Reaching the other side, they went through another door, down a narrow corridor and out a side door. Suddenly she found herself in the middle of a garden, and gave a gasp.

"Where was this? I did not see it when we rode up."

"It is behind Meduseld and not readily seen from the main entrance, to keep it private. It was here a long time, but a bit on the sparse side until my mother married my father. She loves to garden and nearly doubled its size over the years. Father says he fell in love with her in a garden."

Elfwine abruptly stopped speaking, and flushed slightly at the personal information he had imparted, but Dariel was too busy looking around to notice. "This is wonderful! There are many beautiful gardens in Minas Tirith, but I think I like this one best of all. What is this white flower? I do not recognize it, but there was a great deal of it growing outside the city gates on those large mounds."

He moved over beside her and plucked a blossom. "It is simbelmyne. It is native to Rohan and blooms all year. It grows on all our burial mounds," he answered quietly.

"Oh," was all she could think to say. "Then those mounds are..."

"The burial place of our kings; my ancestors. And some day I will join them." He seemed lost in thought, as though the realization of what he was saying had just struck him.

"It seems funny to think of you and Eldarion as being kings one day," she mused.

"You do not think we will make good kings?" he asked.

"Oh, no, not that. It is just...well, it is even that way with my father. Kings are supposed to be people who are very much removed from you. Not people you sit down to dinner with, or have them tease you – or have them tie ribbons around horse heads for you."

"They are just men, with a heavy responsibility. But mostly they are just men who do the best they know how," he answered quietly.

She wasn't sure what to make of his reflective mood. This topic seemed to be something he had thought about a great deal of late, but she was hesitant to question him about it. At least he was talking to her, and seemed to have put the past behind them.

Before she could respond, they were joined by Queen Lothiriel. "Ah, visitors to my garden. I did not expect to find anyone here."

"Dariel wanted to explore a bit, and since I knew supper would be soon, I thought this might satisfy her for now," Elfwine explained to his mother.

"And how do you like my garden?" Lothiriel asked.

"It is wonderful! There is something...comfortable about it. Too many of the gardens in Minas Tirith are formal and stiff," Dariel enthused.

Lothiriel smiled at the girl and suggested, "You are welcome to visit whenever you like while you are here. In the meantime, however, will you help me collect some flowers for the table?"

Dariel nodded eagerly, and Lothiriel handed her a basket before moving to the first flower she wanted. Elfwine bowed slightly, "If you will excuse me, I will see you both at supper."

"All right, dearest," his mother said.

"Thank you," Dariel added.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Had a really foul Monday, so I'm making up for it by posting another chapter! (Yeah, I know -- it doesn't make sense to me either.) Besides, the reviews cheer me up -- it makes me happy making you happy!**

Elwen of Lorien- Mastermind, huh? Usually when I'm called that I'm in trouble for stirring things up!

**Second Thoughts**

**Chapter 3**

Lothiriel entered the breakfast chamber and found her son alone, idly pushing the remnants of his meal around the plate. He was so lost in thought that he jumped slightly when she kissed his head and said good morning.

Servants bustled in bringing her food and drink and, when they were done, he asked quietly, "Mother, why do people think Rohan is barbaric?"

She raised her eyes to meet her son's. "Dariel?" she questioned.

He nodded. "Does everyone in Gondor think that of us?"

"No, they do not. At least not those that have been here, or simply know better. When we were in Minas Tirith surely you saw how different our society is from theirs. People can be very judgemental and condescending toward anything unfamiliar to them."

He didn't seem entirely satisfied with her answer, and she rose to come sit beside him on the bench with her back to the table so they were facing. She lifted a hand to his face and turned him to look at her, "Do not think too harshly of Dariel for her comment, dearest. She is young and sometimes does not think. Likely in the absence of an opinion of her own, she borrowed someone else's and spoke rashly. But I do believe she is sorry for doing so."

"I know," he murmured, "but it still hurt to have her say that about us." She pulled his head onto her shoulder and stroked his hair.

"Will you not forgive her, and help her form a new, better opinion of Rohan? It seemed yesterday that you were so inclined."

"I do, I am...but I...worry that she is not sincere, and that she will mock us again," he admitted. He paused, then added, "And her parents never even punished her for saying such a thing. Maybe they..."

"No. They do not agree with what she said. They have not punished her because they wanted her to resolve this matter on her own, and not be forced into it by them. And she is doing that. She is not apologizing reluctantly only because her parents are making her do so."

"They know what she said?" he asked.

"Yes. Gossip spreads quickly, and both they and we overheard it soon after. They would have acted immediately, but Eldarion persuaded them to let him encourage her to correct the mistake on her own." She sat silently a moment, then continued, "Did you know that Eldarion found her weeping in the garden after you overheard her?"

He shook his head. "It is true," his mother assured him. "She was remorseful almost instantly. That is how you may be certain she is sincere."

She smiled gently and asked him softly, "You like her a great deal, do you not?"

His head jerked around in alarm at her perception, but she just smiled, "Do not look so surprised. Mothers know these things!" She kissed his head before she rose to return to her meal, "Do not worry. Your secret is safe with me."

He gave her a rueful grin and shook his head in wonder, "Father always says it is impossible to keep things from you. You know everything."

She gave a laugh, "Not everything, just most things. But do not tell him that – I prefer to let him think so!"

They laughed together a few moments and then she told him, "By the way, your father and I are very proud of how you handled yourself yesterday, during the orc attack. You stayed calm and acted well, especially in rescuing Dariel." She gave him a warm smile and he blushed in response.

Just then, the Gondorian royal family appeared at the door, and were shown in for their meal. Talk turned to how everyone had slept, and Elfwine slipped away to get his brother and sister to bring them to eat. The nurse accompanied the children and Elfwine went on to his room to collect his sparring gear.

He had a sparring lesson shortly, and so he went back to the dining area long enough to collect Eldarion and take him with him. After the sparring master, Thaldur, had worked with Elfwine a bit, he sparred with Eldarion and gave him a few pointers as well. Then he took the opportunity to have the two boys spar against one another so he could better study their form and strategy.

They went at it energetically and proved to be well-matched. Finally, Eldarion signalled a halt, and leaned down to rest his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. He looked up at Elfwine and laughed, "I underestimated you! I thought your being younger would give me the advantage. But look at you – you are barely winded! You are a formidable opponent!"

Thaldur stepped forward and dismissed them, saying that was enough for the day. Only when he was gone, did they notice Dariel hanging on the fence watching them. Eldarion moved toward her and asked, "Come to watch me be beat, have you?"

She laughed, "If Elfwine beat you, then he must be very good! Father is not the only one who brags about your swordsmanship. I have heard others do it as well."

Eldarion tried to restrain his pleased grin, as he wiped his sweaty face on his shirtsleeve. "What are you about today?" he asked his sister.

She shrugged, "I do not know. I suppose I will wander around town and see what there is to be seen. I think Father and King Eomer are going to be in meetings most of the day, and if I stay here I will end up having to help with the children."

Just to annoy her, Eldarion reached up and gave her a sweaty hug, and said, "Well, I would keep you company, but I have already agreed to be in some of those meetings Father and King Eomer are having."

She had wrinkled her nose and was wiping at the sweat he had gotten on her, "Just as well unless you were going to bathe first!"

He let out a laugh, "Maybe Elfwine will show you around. He is not nearly so sweaty as I am!" With that, he laughed again and strode back up toward Meduseld.

That left Elfwine and Dariel standing awkwardly eyeing one another. Finally, Elfwine suggested, "I would be happy to show you around town, if you like. But perhaps I should wash a bit first."

She smiled shyly and nodded, "Thank you. I would appreciate that." Suddenly realizing her words were ambiguous, she hastily added, "Appreciate your showing me around, I mean, not that I would appreciate you washing! But I do appreciate that too..." She stopped, now totally flustered and blushing madly.

Elfwine grinned at her, "You are welcome on both counts. I will meet you on the front terrace of Meduseld in half an hour. Do you know how to get there?"

She nodded, feeling somewhat relieved at his ignoring her stumbling words. Since he had turned toward Meduseld, she fell in alongside him and they walked back in silence.

He left her in the Golden Hall and went to his room to change, and she made for the front doors. Once outside, she settled herself on the steps to wait. When they had arrived the previous day, it had been near sunset, but the view was much better now that the sun was full up. You could see for leagues in all directions from this vantage point, and it truly was awe-inspiring. The mountains were much closer here than in Minas Tirith, and this land was less settled, so the landscape was not so dotted with settlements and homes. And it was quieter, too. She had never really noticed just how noisy Minas Tirith was until now. The shops and activity on the lower levels carried up to the upper level and there was a constant hum of sound all day. Even at night, it was not totally quiet. But out here, in the middle of the large plain, high on this hill, the wind carried away most sound that might be made lower down in the town. It almost gave her an eerie feeling of being totally alone, but a glance back at the two doorguards reassured her she was not.

It was less than half an hour when Elfwine reappeared in fresh clothing and his hair damp. She wondered if he had hurried, knowing she was waiting, or whether he was just naturally quick about such tasks. He offered her his hand to rise, and then they moved down the front steps and started into the town.

It did not take long to discover that being royal in Edoras was different than being royal in Minas Tirith. Her parents, and even she and her siblings, were treated with deference there and few in the city would dare address them informally on the street. But many called out greetings to Elfwine, using only his name, and some stopped to chat with him for several minutes. At one point, they came upon some men trying to get a new beam in place on a building that was being constructed.

"Excuse me," Elfwine told her, and a moment later he was up on the frame of the house, lending his hands to the task. Once it was in place, he talked and laughed with the men briefly and then rejoined her.

They had walked a bit further before she dared venture, "Do you often help the townspeople with their work? Does it not bother them to have their prince doing such things?"

Elfwine eyed her curiously and shook his head, "It makes no difference who I am. I am a citizen of this town and we all pitch in to help where help is needed. Were my father with us, he would have helped also."

She considered this a moment, then told him, "I think the people of Minas Tirith would be mortified if my father tried to do such a thing!"

"Not everything that works well in Gondor would work well here," he responded. "For us, survival may depend on the help of our neighbors, whoever they may be."

They continued their walk and it was some time later that she noted, "There are a lot of old people here. It is the same in Minas Tirith. So many younger men died in the War. Father says that is the hardest thing of all to rebuild."

Elfwine nodded, "We lost many men, but at least now the land is peaceful enough for them to feel like they can safely bring children into the world again. It will take time, but both Rohan and Gondor will one day have the strength of youth again."

As it was nearing midday, Elfwine suggested returning to eat and they began the climb back up the hill. After dining, Elfwine disappeared and Dariel was pulled into a game by her siblings and the king's younger son.

Some time later, Dariel escaped the children and found her way back to the queen's garden. She was surprised to find Elfwine there, sitting under a tree with something in his lap that he was studiously working on. He was so intent on what he was doing, and her footfall so soft, that he did not notice her approach until she stood right near him. He jumped and hastily turned his work so she could not see it, but not before she caught a glimpse of a drawing.

"What is that you are doing?" she asked.

Blushing madly, he paused, but could not think of a polite way to avoid showing her. Hesitantly he held it out for her to see, and she discovered he had drawn a likeness of her. A very good likeness, actually. She looked up at him curiously.

Stammering a bit, he explained, "I thought your parents might enjoy likenesses of their children as a gift." He made up the lie on the spur of the moment, hoping she would believe it. He certainly did not want her guessing that he was attracted to her.

She sat down beside him and handed the paper back. "You are very good. I did not know you could draw. Why did you decide to draw me first?"

He tried to shrug nonchalantly, "I just spent most of the day with you, so your image was fresh in my mind. And I wasn't sure your parents were interested in having a likeness of a sweaty Eldarion – my most recent image of him!"

She burst out laughing, and he grinned with relief that her attention seemed to have been diverted. "Well, it is very good and my parents will be delighted. And I promise not to say a word about it."

"Thank you," he said, smiling to himself.

"Where did you learn to draw like that?" she inquired.

"My Uncle Faramir. He has always been one to sketch things. When I saw him doing it and expressed interest, he showed me some things about it and even found a book for me that tells how to draw different things."

"Do you just draw people?"

"No. I draw most anything that catches my fancy. Horses, flowers, anything."

"May I see some of them?"

Elfwine's stomach jumped to his throat. Showing his pictures to her would be exposing himself to her possible further ridicule. Still, his mother had felt certain she could be trusted and hadn't meant to be hurtful, so he took a deep breath and risked it, "Of course. Wait here and I will bring some for you to see."

He climbed to his feet and moved quickly back to his room. Once there, he rummaged hastily through his drawings, pulling out the best ones. He carefully hid the half dozen other drawings he had done of Dariel so she would not accidentally find out about them. Collecting the ones he had chosen, he returned to the garden. Taking a deep breath, he approached her and held them out.

Dariel carefully sifted through them several times, making comments here and there. She laid out three on the ground and announced, "I think these three are my favorites. You draw horses very well, though I suppose I should not be surprised by that!"

He laughed with her, "No, drawing horses is rather easy. I have plenty to practice on."

"Would you show me how to draw?" Dariel asked suddenly.

Elfwine looked at her a bit startled, "I suppose I could try. I have never attempted to teach it to anyone before."

"Well, then start a new drawing and describe how you are doing it," she instructed.

He obediently pulled out a clean sheet of paper, and she asked, "How do you decide what to draw?"

"Usually I draw because I have seen something and want to remember it. The drawing is a way to preserve the memory."

She looked around them and then pointed to a clump of flowers, "How about those?"

He shook his head and pointed instead to a single blossom on another plant, "Let us start you with something a little easier. The fewer things in the likeness, the easier it will be."

Moments later, they were huddled together as he sketched and explained what he was doing. The blossom was almost complete when Elfwine looked up and saw how close Dariel was sitting. She looked up at the same time and their faces were only inches apart. Both blushed and moved slightly away, trying to do so under the guise of something else. Elfwine tried to slow his heart down to normal and suggested, "Perhaps we should go in and get ready for supper. It should be about time."

Dariel bobbed her head in agreement, "That is a good idea." As he helped her up, she told him, "Thank you for showing me about drawing. Maybe tomorrow I can try to draw something."

He nodded, not trusting his voice, and politely offered his arm after collecting his scattered pictures and paper. They walked silently inside and he left her at her door with a bow.

Once inside, Dariel plunked down on a chair and held her hands to her flaming cheeks. What had just happened? And why did it feel like butterflies were dancing madly in her stomach? He had blushed when he saw how close she was sitting to him. She must have embarrassed him terribly with her forwardness, but she had been so engrossed in watching him draw she hadn't realized how close she had moved. She gave a slight moan; things seemed to go from bad to worse with Elfwine. Just when she thought she had made progress on his forgiving her, she did something brainless like this! Surely he would take to avoiding her at all costs! She flung herself on the bed and covered her head with the pillow, giving a loud growl of frustration.

Elfwine's reactions were somewhat similar, though his line of thought took a different path. He couldn't believe he had blushed with embarrassment at her closeness. Other boys would have handled being that close to a girl much more smoothly. Especially a girl they liked. But all he could do was blush and move away from her. She must think him a great idiot, and surely she would think he didn't like her! It did not occur to him to examine why it bothered him to have her think he _did_ like her because he had drawn her picture, and why it _also_ bothered him to have her think he _didn't_ like her because he had moved away from her. All he knew was that when she was around he felt awkward and simple and foolish. Why couldn't he be more like Eldarion? He had watched his friend with the girls in Minas Tirith, and envied his ease in talking and flirting with them. He always felt like he had suddenly grown two left feet and his brain left him. He was awkward and he said stupid things and what girl would ever want to spend time with him, much less a girl like Dariel.

By the time supper was served, the two had thoroughly humiliated themselves with their imaginings of what the other thought of them. Consequently, they pointedly sat as far apart as possible and didn't say two words to each other the rest of the evening.

Lothiriel could not help but notice her eldest's discomfiture, and it didn't take much discernment on her part to see Dariel was equally discomposed. She knew they had spent the morning in town and she had seen them together in the garden, but she didn't think they had quarreled. Maybe a little motherly prying was in order to aid the two. She had been watching Dariel, and suspected she was as attracted to Elfwine as he was to her. Perhaps it was just normal youthful insecurity that was separating them.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Replies to reviewers: (kind of long, but all of you may want to glance at my reply to Scatty for some useful info, if you don't already know it)_**

**_Sarah – Glad to hear you are enjoying this. I try really hard to make my characters believable, and "true to form". _**

**_Lady Luthien – Not sure why you think Eomer is dead. HE ISN'T! Maybe the burial mounds, when he mentions it is the burial place of Rohan's Kings – his ancestors? Eomer has not yet joined them, and Elfwine is not yet king – he is just "looking ahead". I can't kill Eomer off! I'm having way too much fun playing with him! _**

**_Scatty – "Not quite how I picture Aragorn and Arwen's daughter but it works." Keep in mind she's only 14, so she still has some growing up and maturing to do. _**

**_"None of your more recent stories have shown up on your author page" – I've noticed that ffn is sometimes slow to put my new stories there – don't know why. Sometimes they are just randomly slow about the strangest things. THERE IS a Part 20 of the Elfwine Chronicles called Newness, and it presently is showing on my author page (it currently has all my stories). If it doesn't show up for you, it may be you need to clean up your "cache". In your browser (Internet Explorer), click on Tools, then click on Internet Options. In the middle it says Temporary Internet Files. Click on Delete Files, and then click on OK. Your computer says these things for quick retrieval, but you may not see the most current version of something. If you get too many of these files sitting on your computer, then you get really old information. You should do this "clean up" periodically to get rid of them so your computer will work faster/better. If that doesn't work, and you still can't see all my stories, contact me by e-mail and I'll send you a list. _**

**Second Thoughts**

**Chapter 4**

The next morning, after the children were fed and off playing together, Lothiriel sought out Dariel and invited her to work in the garden with her. Dariel gladly accepted since the awkwardness that had developed with Elfwine left her with nothing to do.

As they worked, trimming dead flowers and fertilizing the various plants, Lothiriel ventured, "I saw you and Elfwine in the garden yesterday afternoon. What were you doing? You seemed very intent on something."

Dariel sighed, "He was showing me how to draw, and some pictures he had drawn already."

"Did you have an argument? The two of you seemed rather distant to each other at supper and during the evening."

Dariel shook her head, "No, not exactly. I think…I think maybe I embarrassed him by being too forward." She hadn't meant to confess it, but the words were out before she could stop them. She winced, wondering what his mother would do when she found out what she had done.

"How were you too forward?" Lothiriel asked gently.

"I, er…I was so intent on watching him draw that I moved closer than I realized. He looked up to find me almost on top of him. He was terribly embarrassed and I was mortified that I had done so. I am sure he will avoid being around me now. That is why he was uncomfortable with me later."

Lothiriel smiled gently at her, "I cannot imagine my son minded sitting close to a pretty young woman. He may have blushed, but I doubt he objected to the situation."

Dariel turned pink at the compliment and ducked her head.

"You like him, do you not?" Lothiriel asked.

The girl's head jerked up, "What?"

"You have feelings for my son. I have seen it in your behavior, and in your eyes," Lothiriel answered quietly.

It was said with such certainty that Dariel realized it was pointless to deny, "Yes. I do. But I have been so horrible to him, I know he will never think of me fondly."

"You might be surprised. He was hurt by your words at Minas Tirith, but not so much as to turn him against you. And your efforts at a sincere apology and better behavior have begun to win full forgiveness from him."

Dariel eyed her with a mixture of hopefulness and skepticism, "How do you know that?"

"I know my son very well." She met Dariel's gaze, "I know him very well, indeed. All is not lost."

She wasn't entirely sure why, but Dariel found herself believing Lothiriel's words. But if he did forgive her and wanted to know her better, how was he to know she felt the same way? An apology only meant she was sorry for being rude to him, not that she was interested in knowing him better. How could she let him know she would be pleased to share his company?

Lothiriel watched the girl from the corner of her eye, and suspected the thoughts running through her mind. Another nudge seemed in order, "If he was teaching you to draw yesterday, perhaps I have kept you here helping me long enough. Maybe you would like to go find him and resume your instruction. I do not think he will mind continuing your lessons."

Dariel hesitated, torn between wanting to go find Elfwine and feeling she should stay and help as she had agreed. "Run along. We are almost done here, and I do not mind working alone. With small children in the house, it gives me a modicum of peace on occasion!"

With a grin, Dariel returned the gloves she had been given and started back inside. "Dariel?" She looked back. "I believe you will find him at his sparring lesson. He does that daily around this time."

She nodded and changed her course, exiting the garden down toward the practice field. She reached it just as they were finishing.

"Well, well, little sister. Come to watch again, have you?" Eldarion called to her.

She hastily moved away as he came toward her. "Stay away from me with your sweaty body!" she squealed.

Laughing, he continued to pursue her along the fence line and finally she called, "Elfwine, help me!"

Elfwine was startled by the plea, but instantly moved into action. "Eldarion, I cannot allow you to torment your sister while she is a guest in Rohan. That places her under Rohirrim protection!" he announced sternly to his friend.

Eldarion turned to eye him, "Oh really? You would challenge the Prince of Gondor?" He tossed his sword to the ground with a grin.

"I would," Elfwine declared, following suit and preparing himself.

A moment later, Eldarion launched himself at Elfwine, who dodged to the side. As he went down, however, Eldarion was able to sweep his leg and drop his opponent as well. In short order they were wrestling for domination, which Elfwine laughingly achieved several moments later.

Eldarion lay on his back with Elfwine sitting on his belly and shook his head. "Clearly I need to come to Rohan for training in fighting! A year younger than me, and still you best me both with sword and strength!"

Laughing, Elfwine rose and gave him a hand up. They began dusting themselves off, though most of the dirt was now too ground in to easily be brushed off. "It would appear that neither of us will escape a bath now!" Elfwine observed. Then, remembering Dariel, he added, "My lady, you are safe from molestation by this cretin!"

"Cretin? Keep that up and I _will_ defeat you, with outrage alone!" Eldarion warned.

High spirits and adrenalin combined to push Elfwine suddenly toward Dariel. A moment later he pulled her into a sweaty, dirty hug as she squealed and tried to twist free. At last, he stepped back with a grin, "However, you may still not be safe from the cretins of Rohan!"

Eldarion was now doubled over with laughter at the look on his sister's face, so he missed how her eyes were shining and the slight blush that crept over her cheeks. Elfwine swallowed as his exuberance subsided, watching her carefully for any sign of offense at his behavior, but all he saw was a shy smile and her eyes did not reflect any displeasure with his actions.

Emboldened by this, he called to the other young man, "Eldarion, come; let us wash!" With that he scooped Dariel up in his arms and strode briskly toward the stream. Quickly comprehending his purpose, Eldarion was hot on his heels. Dariel was too startled to realize what they were up to until he reached the bank of the stream, giving no sign of stopping.

With a shriek, she exclaimed, "Elfwine! What are you doing? Put me down!"

He grinned, stepped into the stream and replied, "I intend to, my lady!" With that he dropped her in the water as Eldarion hooted with laughter from the bank. In one quick motion, Elfwine reached over, grabbed him by the shirt and yanked him into the stream as well. Not to be outdone, Eldarion came up quickly and tackled him. They both hit the water with a tremendous splash that resoaked Dariel who had just stood up nearby.

For a moment, she was inclined to be angry with Elfwine for throwing her in the water, but as she watched him wrestling and splashing with her brother, she realized his doing so had been intended to include her in their fun. A grin twitched at her mouth, and finally she allowed herself to give way to laughter and join in.

It was a sodden, but somewhat cleaner, trio that made its way back to Meduseld awhile later.

Each went their separate way to get cleaned up and changed, and Elfwine couldn't restrain a grin from creasing his face. Dariel hadn't seemed to be upset with him, either for his getting her wet or the way he had behaved the previous day. Maybe she didn't consider him a complete idiot. He washed and quickly donned dry clothing, thinking to go see if she wanted to continue the drawing lesson before the midday meal.

Coming down the hall toward her room, he passed Tamwen and another maid servant talking about a dress Tamwen was holding. "I told her I'd see what I could do with it, but this dress is rather thoroughly ruined. I can't imagine why she would go into the stream wearing it!"

They hurried by him with a polite bob in his direction, but they had already lost his attention. Dariel's dress was ruined – because he had thrown her in the water? He let out a groan. He just couldn't do anything right where she was concerned. If she wasn't angry before, she would be now. He stood there a moment, then changed course and headed for the stable.

He spent the next hour working there, cleaning his saddle and bridle and grooming his horse. During that time, he considered what he should do. Finally, he decided he needed to apologize and offer to buy her a new dress. With that resolution, he returned to Meduseld, and soon discovered she was with their mothers in his mother's sitting room. At his knock, his mother called for him to enter, and he stepped in, stiffly formal but unable to hold back a blush.

"Lady Dariel, it has come to my attention that my rash actions have ruined your dress. My sincerest apologies. I would be happy to buy you a replacement, either from a shop here in Edoras or after you have returned to Minas Tirith. Please forgive me my carelessness."

She was too taken by surprise to answer, so he bowed and hastily exited. Both of the older women were eyeing her curiously and Arwen voiced their question, "What is Elfwine talking about, Dariel? How did he ruin your dress?"

She flushed pink and slowly explained how they were fooling around and he had thrown her in the stream. "But I do not know how he found out the dress was ruined. I did not tell him that. It was an older dress so I was not terribly concerned about it. I was not going to mention it to him."

"Well, how ever he found out about it, he apparently does know. What will you do now?" Lothiriel asked.

Dariel's eyes were filling with tears. "I do not know," she wailed. "Everything goes wrong with us!" With that, she bolted out of the room and hurried back to her bedchamber.

Lothiriel and Arwen looked at one another and sighed. "I suppose I was like that at her age, but are Elves the same way when they are young?" Lothiriel queried.

Arwen laughed, "Unfortunately, many are. I think I fancied an Elf or two in my youth, and felt the pangs of dealing with that. It is never easy for any girl."

"Do you think we should do anything or just stay out of it?" Lothiriel asked. "I tried helping it along earlier, and it seemed to have worked until now."

"I do not think they would welcome our open involvement, but that is not to say we cannot try to nudge things in the right direction when the opportunity arises," Arwen observed.

Lothiriel nodded, "Agreed!"


	5. Chapter 5

**_A/N: IT'S NOT MY FAULT! I tried for over an hour last night to get into ffn and post this chapter but no luck. (I DID win a lot of Freecell games while I tried, though - if you care...) Replies to reviewers are at the bottom since I "waxed eloquent" (okay, I ran off at the...keyboard). _**

**Second Thoughts**

**Chapter 5**

The midday meal proved very similar to the previous evening's supper. Dariel and Elfwine avoided each other, clearly miserable at doing so. Eldarion glanced between the two of them, wondering what had changed so drastically since this morning. Well, maybe he could get them back on course. "Elfwine, what do you say to showing us around Rohan tomorrow? Would your father allow an escort to accompany us on an outing?"

Elfwine looked up at him and shrugged, "I am sure he would. Is there something in particular you want to see or just to get out and ride a bit?"

"You know this country better than me. Surely you have some favorite places we could see. And perhaps we could even visit Helm's Deep if it is not too far. I have heard much about the place."

Elfwine started to nod agreement when Eldarion turned to his sister, "Will you join us Dariel? There isn't much for you to do around here. It should be fun."

Dariel blushed, then stammered, "Yes, it would be fun. If Elfwine does not mind me coming along with you."

"Why should he mind?" Eldarion asked, looking at the other boy.

"I have no objection, though I am not sure we want to go to Helm's Deep if Dariel accompanies us. I fear the ride would be too long and taxing on her."

Dariel blushed more deeply and focused attention on helping her younger sister sitting next to her. Clearly he considered her a poor rider and felt her presence would be a hindrance to them.

"Do not be fooled. Dariel can cope quite well with adversity when she needs to, though she may regret it the next day!" Eldarion teased.

Dariel glared at him, but Elfwine was already answering, "Then I will arrange it with father and have cook prepare us food to take along."

Despite the planned excursion, Dariel and Elfwine still avoided one another the rest of the day. Lothiriel realized Dariel probably had no idea how to prepare for the ride, so she spent the evening adjusting one of her old riding outfits that would work better than the clothes Dariel had with her, and making sure she knew what to take along.

Shortly after breakfast the next morning, the trio headed to the stables. Their escort, led by Eothain, was already saddled and waiting. Quickly Elfwine and Eldarion saddled their horses, then Eldarion moved to aid his sister with her horse while Elfwine packed the things they were taking along. Soon they were mounted and the party made its way to the city gates and across the plains.

They had been riding for some time, and Dariel noticed that Elfwine kept glancing at her curiously. She wondered what had his attention, and finally he enlightened her, "Where did you get that outfit? It looks like one my mother has."

She laughed, realizing why he was giving her such strange looks, "It should – it is one of hers adjusted to fit me. She thought it would work better for this outing than the things I had."

He nodded, "You should find it more comfortable than what you wore coming to Rohan." He stopped, thinking his comment might be rude, but she didn't seem to notice.

"It is. And I was grateful for her assistance."

Elfwine let out his breath in relief. It would be really nice if he could get through this day without saying something stupid to her.

They traveled to a few of his favorite spots, and finally stopped for the midday meal along the banks of a stream. They had been laughing and talking, and presently Eldarion was telling them some ridiculous tale, when Elfwine looked past him to the horizon. Immediately his expression sobered and he stood.

Realizing he had lost part of his audience, Eldarion looked around curiously to see what had Elfwine's attention. "What is the matter?" he asked, seeing nothing alarming.

Elfwine didn't answer him, but instead called to the group of soldiers gathered a short distance away, "Eothain!"

When the soldier looked up at him, he pointed and Eothain rose as well. A moment later, he was at Elfwine's side. "We should return to Edoras at once. Collect your things."

Elfwine caught his arm as he started to move back to the Riders, "If we go to Edoras, we will be riding right into it. If we ride hard, we may reach Helm's Deep before it hits."

Eothain pondered a moment, then nodded, "You are right. Get ready to leave." He called to the Riders as he approached, "Quickly, mount up!"

Dariel stood, looking uncertain, but slightly alarmed. Eldarion voiced their concern, "Elfwine, what is the matter?"

"There is a storm coming – a bad one. It is between us and home, so we will make for Helm's Deep and shelter there. Looks like you will get to see it after all. Gather our things and get mounted, quickly."

He began hurriedly tossing things into the saddle bags, and had his horse ready in only a few moments. Eldarion was still working with his saddle, so Elfwine went to aid Dariel and then helped her mount. When everyone was in the saddle, Eothain led the way at a canter that soon quickened to a gallop.

Already the winds were beginning to pick up and the air had become more chill. No one spoke as they hurried along, but each felt the tension. Eothain and Elfwine kept casting worried glances over their shoulder. It was soon evident that even though they were only a few miles from Helm's Deep, the storm would catch them before they reached it. They were in rockier terrain so their pace had slowed, but Eothain pressed them on as quickly as he dared.

Elfwine and Eldarion had taken up position on either side of Dariel, and it proved a wise move once the torrential rain caught them. Her horse did not react well to the adverse conditions and came to a halt, snorting with displeasure and shaking his head to rid himself of the water hitting him. Dariel was looking more and more panicked as it became apparent that her horse was paying no attention to her commands, and Eldarion's efforts to catch hold of his reins and lead him almost got him yanked from the saddle. Finally, Elfwine pressed his horse in close to the gelding's side, reached for Dariel and caught her by the waist. In one quick motion he pulled her from the saddle, then placed her in front of him on his horse. Once she seemed settled, he called to another Rider, "Kialmar! Get her horse!"

Kialmar changed positions with Elfwine and soon had the wayward horse in tow, and they continued on the last few miles. Gratefully, they rode up the causeway and into the refuge. They decided it best to keep the horses with them, so they all rode into the main hall and began dismounting.

Elfwine climbed down from his horse and helped Dariel down as well. She had been shaking violently ever since he pulled her off her horse, and he wasn't entirely sure whether it was due to cold, fear or a mixture of both. Eldarion hurried over to check on his sister, "Dariel, are you all right?"

She was too cold and numb to speak, so she faintly nodded her head. "We need to get her warm," Elfwine said. "There should be wood stored in that alcove next to the fireplace."

Eldarion nodded and hurried off to the task. The Riders were tending the horses, and Elfwine led Dariel over to a chair that he pulled closer to the fireplace. Gently he pushed her down on it, then took his cloak and put it around her. Even though it was soaked through, it would provide some warmth until they got the fire going.

Eldarion returned with wood and set about getting the blaze lit, and soon a fire was roaring. Elfwine turned Dariel over to his care and went to help the men secure their lodging and find whatever dry blankets and food could be had. He and another man spread the blankets they carried with them over some tables to let them dry out, and they went through what food they had left to see where they stood in that respect.

By the time he returned to Eldarion and Dariel, she was looking a bit better and shaking less. He held out the dry blankets, "Remove as much wet clothing as you can and then wrap up in these." Eldarion took the blankets and began to assist his sister.

She became aware that no one else was doing something similar, "Are there blankets for the men, also?"

"Those were all the dry ones we could find. Now that we have several fires going, the wet ones will begin to dry out, as will our clothing."

She looked at him with dismay, "But I should not take all the dry ones!"

He smiled at her, "You do not have much choice. The men of Rohan would rather freeze to death than allow a lady to be cold and wet!"

She blushed at his statement and turned away, slowly removing the wet outer garments. Elfwine moved back to join the men and confer with Eothain on their situation. Because the men routinely carried more food with them than they needed, there was quite a bit of dried meat, some nuts and cheese. There were a few apples remaining from the picnic lunch, but the bread had gotten soaked by the rain and destroyed. It wouldn't fill them, by any means, but they wouldn't starve either.

They had found some fodder for the horses, and hauled some buckets of water for both the horses and their party. Gradually they settled in, the men gathered at one large fireplace and the three royals at the other. They would hold off eating as long as possible to stretch the food's effects. There was some soft talk, but mostly they just sat quietly.

Nothing had been said among the trio for some time, when finally Dariel inquired, "Will not our parents be frantic, not knowing where we are?"

Elfwine glanced at her and shrugged, "Possibly, but Father trusts Eothain to keep us safe. He will reassure your parents that Eothain will let no harm come to you. And likely the storm has hit there also. They will expect us to have holed up somewhere to try and get out of it."

They lapsed back into silence for awhile longer and then Eldarion ventured, "Any reason we cannot take a look around? As long as we are here, I might as well see the place."

Elfwine nodded and rose, "Of course." He looked at Dariel, "Do you wish to join us? It is mostly just battlements and fortifications, but there is little else to do."

She appreciated the invitation and stood, "Yes, I think I will. It will help the time pass more quickly." She wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and they set out, with a boy on each side of her.

They mostly just explored the areas that could be seen without going out into the rain again. Once that had been exhausted, Elfwine suggested, "Perhaps you would like to see the Glittering Caves."

"I have heard of them," Dariel said with surprise. "They are here?"

He nodded, "Helm's Deep backs up to them and they were used as additional protection during siege. The women and children would flee the battlements and take refuge in them. There is a settlement of dwarves deeper into the caves, but they rarely come very near the Hornburg."

Dariel's excited smile was answer enough, and Eldarion nodded in agreement to the proposal. Elfwine led them to the back of the hall and through the entrance to the caves. Holding the torch he bore high over his head, he let the light hit the gems and crystals, reflecting it back toward them. Dariel let out a gasp of awe as she moved forward and stared up at the wondrous sight. Eldarion held his torch higher as well, and they moved deeper into the caves.

"I can see why the dwarves wanted to come here," Dariel commented. "It is beautiful!"

They spent over an hour exploring, before finally deciding to make their way back to the main hall and warm up. The chill in the cave was becoming too much.

Once back in front of the fire, they settled down in silence again. Other than quiet occasional conversation, no one seemed much inclined to talk. At length, they portioned out food and ate their meager meal, then most of the men opted to settle in for the night and hope for a little extra sleep.

Though not entirely dry, sleeping on damp blankets was preferable to the hard floor, so they laid a bed and stretched out. Again, the boys flanked Dariel, in hopes of helping her keep warm. Elfwine drifted off fairly quickly, having slept on the ground quite a bit, but the others found it more difficult to doze.

Eventually Eldarion slumbered also, but Dariel could not get comfortable. A couple of hours later, she was still awake and feeling miserable. The dampness of the blanket she lay on was seeping in, she was hungry and she was cold enough to start shivering again. Restlessly she shifted position, trying to get warmer, but nothing helped.

A quiet voice near her asked, "What is the matter, Dariel?"

It was Elfwine and she felt guilty for waking him. "I did not mean to disturb you. I just cannot get comfortable."

In the low light, he could see her shivers and reached over to touch her face, "You are cold!" Quickly he rose and added some logs to the fire. Grabbing another blanket he returned and lay down beside her, this time much closer. He spread the blanket over the two of them and reached over to pull her close.

"What are you doing?" she asked in alarm, barely keeping her voice down.

"Helping you get warm," he replied. "Do not worry. I will not do anything inappropriate," he added hastily.

She blushed, though he probably couldn't see it, and wouldn't have noticed for his own flushed face. As strange as it felt to be lying there with a boy's arms – Elfwine's arms – around her, she couldn't really say it was displeasing. And she _was_ warmer. Besides, her brother was right there so what could happen. She consciously made herself relax. She was not going to make too much out of this. He was just being considerate and trying to ease her discomfort.

It wasn't until the next morning that she realized how quickly she had dozed off in his arms. When she awoke, he had already risen and only her brother still slept beside her. Elfwine was talking with Eothain over near the Riders. The air was still a bit chill, despite the fire, so she kept the blanket wrapped around her as she sat up.

Eothain spotted her and nodded in her direction, pulling Elfwine's attention there.

He moved over to her and knelt on one knee, "Good morning." He hesitated and tried to stifle a blush as he asked, "Did you sleep better?"

Now pink herself, she nodded. "Thank you," she told him softly.

He gave her that half smile she had become so familiar with, then told her, "The worst of the storm has passed, though it will likely rain off and on most of the day."

Eldarion had awakened and sat up beside his sister to listen. "We will eat what is left of the food and then set out for Edoras. It will be a rather miserable ride, I am afraid, but without more food, there is little point in remaining here. We can be warm and dry and fed by nightfall," Elfwine continued.

Eldarion nodded and rubbed his face, then ran his fingers through his hair a few times in a vain attempt to comb it a bit. Elfwine paused, then said, "I do not think it a good idea for Dariel to ride her horse. He is too flighty, and the wind and rain may yet upset him. She should ride with either you or me, Eldarion." He looked between the two of them to judge their reaction.

Dariel turned even pinker, partly with embarrassment that he felt she was not a good enough rider to manage on her own. Eldarion yawned, "She can ride with you. I do not have much experience with riding double, and my horse was acting a bit flighty yesterday also. I may have my hands full with him."

Elfwine glanced at Dariel to see if she objected, but she did not meet his eyes. He explained, "I would let you ride one of the Rohan horses and have someone else take your mount, but none of our horses is suitable for you either." When she still did not respond, he said, "You can either sit behind me or ride in front of me as you did yesterday."

Somehow the thought of his arms around her again was more embarrassment than she could manage, so she told him, "I will ride behind you, if that is all right."

He nodded and stood. "Let us gather up our things, eat and be on our way. It is a long ride."

The food was eaten and the horses readied, then within an hour they were departing. Dariel had been hesitant to slip her arms around Elfwine's waist, but when his horse started forward, she hastily did so. As humiliating as this was, it would be worse to fall off.

They rode for over an hour through the rainy, gray dawn. Eothain finally called a rest under some trees, and most dismounted to stretch their legs. The rain and the wind had set Dariel to shivering not too long after they left Helm's Deep, and reticently Elfwine suggested, "Dariel...you might be warmer if you rode in front of me..." He broke off, blushing, and wishing just once he could speak to her or look at her without turning red.

She hesitated only briefly, but was so chilled that even as disconcerting as the offer was, anything was better than continuing to shiver the rest of the day. Shyly she nodded and looked away from him.

When it came time to remount, he helped her on then swung up behind her. He pulled his cloak forward and fastened it around her as well. Despite the intimacy of it, she couldn't deny she was indeed much warmer, and she forced herself to tell him, "Thank you. This is better." He reached around her for the reins and the group was off.

Gradually, she began to relax. This was going to be a long ride, and sitting stiffly was not going to work. She forced herself not to think about it and just concentrate on the riders ahead of her. They made several more stops every hour or so, and at long last they spied Edoras in the distance. Gratefully they rode through the gates and straight to the stables.

Once dismounted, Elfwine handed Dariel over to her brother and sent them up to Meduseld while he helped tend the horses. Over an hour later, he traipsed in with an armload of wet blankets and their few belongings. His father and King Elessar were waiting in the Golden Hall and looked up when he came in. Gamling took the things he carried and he went to speak with them.

"Father, King Elessar," he acknowledged.

"My thanks to you, young Elfwine. Eldarion has told us how you attended he and his sister on this outing," King Elessar said. He smiled and added, "I seem to be making a habit of thanking you for watching after my children!" Elfwine grinned shyly and looked down.

"Well done, Elfwine," his father told him. "Go and get a warm bath. I will have some supper sent to your room for you."

He nodded, "Thank you, Father." He gave a slight bow to the two men and exited to the hall, a pleased feeling easing his tiredness.

Fed and bathed, he fell appreciatively into his warm bed and was quickly lost to the world.

**_Replies to Reviewers: _**

**_Jazzcat _**_- "That waterfight was priceless." - sometimes the "funnest" things to write are the stories, or parts of stories, that are "new to me". The waterfight was one of those. I had no plans to put in a water fight, but I just sat down and started writing and that is where I ended up. _

**_thayzel_**_ - "but I thought Lothíriel was a little too obvious in this ch." - yes, she was a little obvious, but she could see that both of them felt the same way about each other and was hoping to help them get past that before Dariel left. At the rate they were going, two weeks would be gone before they even managed to speak to each other without blushing! _

_"Seems sad there're only 7 ch.s - can't you prolong it? Somehow? beg" - well, this particular story is only 7 chapters, but it is really an "episode" in the Elfwine Chronicles. There is nothing to say that I can't revisit this pair if I come up with another story line to use with them. I sort of dubbed them the Elfwine Chronicles, even though many seem to be more about E/L than Elfwine, because he is the common thread in all of them. He is there in all the stories, even though one or the other parent may be absent or "not seen much", so that leaves me wide open as to what I can do with him. I'm not PROMISING more of this story, but you never know. All I need is an idea to niggle at me. I never intended to write this story. I was going to stop after Newness and switch my focus to Harry Potter until after the new book comes out in July, but this idea wouldn't let me alone so I figured I better get it on paper! _

**_Tracey_**_ - "Don't tell your father..." - I liked that line, too! So very Lothiriel! (at least the way I write her for the Elfwine Chronicles) _

**_Scatty_**_ - "About Dariel not being what I expected, I didn't mean that as a criticism." That's fine. I think it probably partly does have to do with thinking of her compared to yourself at the same age. Keep in mind that this is more like medieval times so kids weren't as sophisticated as they are now. Most 14 year old girls probably would be a bit more mature nowadays. Also, if Aragorn and Arwen were raising their kids in Rivendell, or some quiet, sleepy little town, I think they would be different than the way I am showing them. But they have been thrust into the "life of leisure" world of being King, with all its privileges, so despite Aragorn and Arwen's skills I'm not sure there would be a lot of opportunity to pass them on as they might in a different setting. _

_"I always thought Aragorn and Eomer's families would someday be joined by marriage, and if that's where this is going, the trip is proving kinda fun." - they kind of have to if they want to marry royalty! There isn't a lot of choice out there. Eomer's kids can't marry Eowyn's kids, so that pretty much only leaves Aragorn's kids (in civilized society), or perhaps the children of Lothiriel's brothers... I haven't decided whether this would eventually go in the marriage direction or be nothing more than a "first crush". _

_"I'm curious about Eomer and Aragorn's reactions though. I can imagine them seeing this and secretly finding it amusing in a 'this is a great idea' sort of way." - No Comment! _

**_lady scribe of avandell, Julia_**_ - You (and others) seem to feel I captured the teen angst - wonderful! Haven't been a teenager in awhile, but I still remember how it was, apparently. _

**_Elwen of Lorien_**_ - "I think if I could have your talent with words I will not suck in AP English next year." I can't take total credit. My grandfather was a college English professor and being raised by his daughter meant I had to toe the line! And they didn't hesitate to use big words, even when I was little, so I was forced to grow up comfortable with words. _

_"I hope your week ends better then it has started." - Appreciate the thought. It is...better. Which is not really the same thing as good, but I had nowhere to go but up after Monday! And the reviews did cheer me up! _


	6. Chapter 6

**_Replies to reviewers:_**

**_lady scribe of avandell – "i thought it took longer than a day to get to helm's deep from edoras" – I couldn't find out for certain anywhere I looked. I think it took a couple of days for the exodus, but there were a lot of people on foot then, so I just went with it being possible, riding hard. Unless someone knows for certain, you can either believe me or consider it "fudged"._**

**_Mad-Aniviel - "I feel warm on the inside, but cold on the outside now." - Don't give me that! I know it's nothing more than a thinly disguised attempt to get Elfwine (or his dad) to come over and snuggle you til you warm up!_**

**Second Thoughts**

**Chapter 6**

The sun was still nowhere in sight the next day, but it was quite awhile after daybreak before Elfwine awoke. He lay in bed replaying the events of the past two days. He couldn't restrain a grin as he remembered the feel of Dariel in his arms. How nice it would be if she had been there willingly, pleased to have his attention. He sighed. He doubted very much they would ever get to that point. While she did seem sincere in her apology for her comment, he was certain she only viewed him as the friend of her brother. But even so, he could not help daydreaming what it would be like if she did return his interest...

Little did he know, Dariel's thoughts were moving along a similar path. She always felt safe with Elfwine, no matter how frightening an experience she was having. Somehow she knew he would protect her from harm. She indulged her imagination about what it would be like if he were interested in her, if he wanted to kiss her... That set the butterflies doing their wild dance in the pit of her stomach again, but somehow she didn't care. She stretched in her warm bed and daydreamed about Elfwine until her twin sisters raced into her room to wake her for breakfast. Reluctantly, she rose and began to dress, picking up steam as she realized that the rain would likely keep everyone indoors, and perhaps now she could suggest another drawing lesson from Elfwine.

After everyone had eaten, they ended up in the Golden Hall, with the children playing around the fire. Eldarion was largely bored, and not being much of a reader, he was at loose ends until he found a chess set and discovered that Gamling played. Soon they were completely engrossed and, taking a deep breath, Dariel approached Elfwine who was sitting by himself, sketching the children. He had purposely brought his drawing things, both because he had obligated himself to drawing the children of the Gondor royalty, and because he hoped it would give him a chance to spend time with Dariel.

"We never did finish my drawing lesson," Dariel commented shyly, as she came to sit at the table where Elfwine was.

He looked up and smiled at her, "No, we did not. Would you like to do so now?"

She grinned excitedly, but then hesitated, "But I do not want to interrupt what you are doing..."

He quickly set it aside, "I can finish it later. I have the basic sketch in place."

She picked up the sketch and studied it, then turned and looked at her siblings at play and shook her head.

"What is wrong?" Elfwine inquired.

She hastened to correct his misimpression, "Nothing! You just make it seem so easy!"

He blushed, with more pleasure than embarrassment, and rose to come around and seat himself next to her. Handing her a sheet of paper, he asked, "What have you decided to draw?"

She thought for a moment, then teased, "I could draw you, and give it to your parents as a gift! But somehow I do not think they would be as impressed as mine will be!"

He laughed, "It is a bit too early to try and draw people. They are not easy to do." He pointed to the flowers in a jug on the table, "What about those?"

She reached down and pulled the jug closer, considering it. "All right. I will try to draw that. Where do I begin?" And moments later, they were completely lost in their task.

A few times, Dariel found it difficult to focus on what he was saying when he would take her hand in his and guide her strokes. And Elfwine occasionally had to consciously pull his attention back to the lesson when he was distracted by her nearness. But as far as the pair was concerned, it was one of the most wonderful mornings they had spent. They were reluctant to set their work aside when it was time to eat the midday meal.

As they sat eating, Elfwine would sneak a few sidelong glances at her. He suddenly remembered the panic on her pretty face when her horse had been uncooperative in the storm, and prior to that when it had bolted. His jaw tightened, and when the meal ended, he rose quickly and excused himself. He headed for his father's study, where Eomer and King Elessar had returned after eating.

At his knock, Eomer called him in and both men looked at him curiously. "Elfwine, what brings you here?" his father asked.

Nervously, Elfwine stood at attention and formally said, "Father, King Elessar, I would request permission to find a suitable horse for Lady Dariel among our horses, and make a gift of it to her."

The men looked at each other in surprise and back at him. "Does not Lady Dariel already have a horse?" his father asked.

"She does, Father, but he is unsuited to her. Twice already he has endangered her, and I do not wish any harm to come to her. She needs a steadier mount."

King Elessar's mouth twitched with amusement as he turned away, giving Eomer a wink. A moment later, he turned back, his face impassive, "I am not sure I can allow Dariel to accept such a grand gift from a young man she barely knows."

Elfwine gulped, "It would not be a gift just from me, my lord, but from all of Rohan."

Eomer rubbed his chin, more to cover his grin than anything and, when it was again concealed, he told Elessar solemnly, "Rohan would be honored to gift your daughter in this way. None of us wish any harm to come to her."

Elessar appeared to consider the matter, then nodded, "Very well. You may find a mount for her. I do not think she will be dismayed at giving up her current one – she has never been entirely comfortable with him."

Elfwine gave a bow and replied, "Thank you, my lord. I will begin looking at my earliest opportunity." He then excused himself and departed, pleased with the outcome.

Once the door was closed behind him, Elessar arched an eyebrow at Eomer. "Indeed, my friend, tell me – is all of Rohan truly as concerned about my daughter's safety as your son is?"

Eomer laughed, "I doubt that very much, though we do value your daughter highly. In this matter, we will let Elfwine represent us since his feelings seem to be strongest!"

The two men laughed together before returning to work.

xxxxx

It wasn't until the afternoon of the next day that Elfwine could even consider going to the stables to select a horse. He wanted to take Dariel with him, but he would not drag her out into the rain for the undertaking.

But over the midday meal, he began to feel queasy and went to lie down in hopes it would pass. Luck was not with him, however, and he was soon losing his meal and feeling miserable. A servant went to inform his mother, and both Arwen and Dariel followed Lothiriel to his room to see if they could be of use. It was determined that he simply had a temporary illness that would eventually pass, and rest was the best thing for it.

Lothiriel stroked his cheek lovingly, "Try to sleep, dearest. I will have a servant come sit with you in case you require anything." He nodded, then caught a glimpse of Dariel standing with her mother near the door and felt even worse when he realized he would not be able to spend time with her until he was well. It seemed he just couldn't win.

As the three women stepped into the hall, Dariel ventured, "Queen Lothiriel...may I sit with Elfwine instead of a servant? He has done so much for me, it seems the least I can do for him. I can read or sew while he sleeps."

Lothiriel glanced at Arwen and saw the amusement in her eyes, but no reluctance to have her daughter do this, so she nodded, "That is very kind of you, Dariel. Go and find a book or something to do and return. I will have a servant check in periodically to see if you require anything or just need a break."

Dariel restrained herself from beaming too happily, and restricted herself to saying politely, "Thank you. I will return in a moment."

As she hurried to her room, Arwen leaned close to Lothiriel and whispered, "My, she is infatuated, is she not?" The two chuckled softly together before moving back to the Golden Hall.

Elfwine didn't bother to open his eyes when someone came into his room, assuming it was the servant, but a moment later they pulled a chair a bit closer to his bed and he caught a familiar scent. With some consternation, his eyes blinked open to find Dariel taking a seat.

"D..Dariel? What are you doing here?" he asked nervously, glancing at the closed door. "I am not sure your parents would approve of you being in my bedchamber."

She smiled bashfully at him, "My mother knows I am here. Queen Lothiriel said it would be all right for me to sit with you instead of a servant. But, please, do not let me disturb you. You should try to sleep. I will be here if you require anything."

He swallowed, not sure how he felt about this. He felt too ill to even enjoy the prospect of her company, and it would be rather humiliating for her to see him if he purged again; a likely occurrence. Still, she must have volunteered or she wouldn't be here. He decided not to make a fuss about it and hope for the best. He let his eyes slip closed again and murmured, "All right. If your mother does not object."

Elfwine eventually dozed off and Dariel tired of the book she was reading. Curiously, she rose and began to walk around his room. Clearly it was a boy's room, much like Eldarion's, though he seemed to keep his tidier than her brother did.

She came across a stack of pictures he had drawn, and when a glance at the bed showed he still slept, she looked through them. She was startled to find several of her near the bottom of the stack. Fearful he might catch her snooping, she hastily put them back the way they were and moved to the window.

Her mouth twitched with delight as she considered the matter. Maybe there _was_ a chance Elfwine could like her... His mother had thought it possible, and she claimed to know him well. She indulged herself in thoughts along those lines for a few moments, before starting to wonder how she could find out what his feelings were, and to let him know of hers. There seemed no easy solution in that respect. She was certain she was far too cowardly to ever say anything outright to him and risk being mistaken about his regard. But perhaps she could let her actions speak for her and see how he responded. She settled on that as the only course of action open to her.

Returning to her chair, she gazed down on him as he slept. He really was quite good looking. Even the other girls in Minas Tirith had noticed that, but he did not socialize the way her brother did. He seemed at ease in social situations in general, but not when it came to girls. Perhaps he was shy also.

He shifted in his sleep, and a strand of hair fell across his face. She barely restrained the urge to brush it back for him. She would simply die if he wakened to find her doing such a thing! So she contented herself with her silent study of him. It had been several minutes when a new thought occurred to her.

Going to Elfwine's drawing implements, she found a clean piece of paper and drawing utensil. She resumed her seat by his bed and tried to figure out how to go about sketching him. He had said that drawing people was difficult, and she soon agreed. After working for some time, her results were less than impressive, and in no way did him justice. She continued working at it, trying to correct some of the flaws, but with only marginal success.

Elfwine's voice broke her concentration, "What are you doing?"

She was startled enough to give a gasp, before laughing nervously, "Oh, you are awake. Er...I was just drawing a picture."

"Of what?" he asked curiously, as she had feared he would.

Her face flaming, she held it out to him, "Try not to laugh too hard..."

He studied it a moment and then looked up at her questioningly, "Why are you drawing a picture of me?"

She tried to be flip to cover her embarrassment, "Turnabout is fair play, right? You have drawn me, so I am returning the favor. But I was right – your parents would not be particularly delighted with such a gift. It is not very good."

He shook his head, "Actually, it is not all that bad considering you have just learned to draw. Even if you were not sitting in my room drawing it, I would know it was of me. When I feel better, I will show you some ways to help you draw people. I did not think you would be up to it yet – you have surprised me."

This time the pink in her cheeks was pleasure at the compliment, "Thank you." She eyed him curiously and then commented, "I am surprised at how little you resemble your father."

"I did when I was younger. Now mother says I look a great deal like my grandfather, Prince Imrahil," he explained.

After a moment, she remembered why she was there, "How are you feeling? Do you need any–?"

Before she finished the question, the look on his face gave her the answer. Hastily he put the drawing on the nightstand and reached for the bucket, which she quickly snatched up for him. Uncertain what to do, she settled on pulling his hair back out of the way and resting her hand on his forehead, as her mother always did when she was ill.

After a few moments, the purging subsided, and he lay back, sweaty and pale. She reached for a goblet of water by the bed and offered it to him. After rinsing his mouth and spitting, he set the bucket aside and sipped the water. Finally he handed it back to her and fell back against the pillows. She wetted a cloth in a basin of water and pressed it to his brow. Gratefully, he took it from her to wipe his face and neck, then handed it back, not meeting her gaze.

"You should have a servant come sit with me. You do not want to see me like this," he told her miserably, closing his eyes so he wouldn't see her expression.

"I want to be here – to help. I do not mind. Everyone gets ill some time, and you have been so kind to look after me when I needed it that I want to return the favor." She paused, then added more softly, "But I will leave if you wish it."

His eyes came open in surprise at her words, and he shook his head. "No, it is nice having you here. Thank you." He gave her a weak grin, touched by her sentiment. But his churning stomach distracted him from contemplating it very long, and he turned on his side to get more comfortable.

"Sleep, if you can. You do not have to stay awake and talk with me. That is not why I am here," she encouraged.

He only smiled feebly and murmured, "Thank you." Then he let his eyes fall shut and did as she bid.


	7. Chapter 7 finale

**_A/N: Sorry – here's the end of it. But maybe after I 'Harry Potter' for awhile, I will wander back to Middle Earth again. I really like this place! And there may still be more Elfwine Chronicles while I am over in the wizarding world, but I doubt I will undertake a lengthy story. I'm still kind of trying to get worked up to finish my HP story, though once the new book comes out it may end up way AU since this story picks up with the beginning of Harry's sixth year. _**

**_For those of you who aren't HP fans, it has been lovely spending time with you. Thanks again for all your reviews. If you don't have me there yet, put me on your Author Alert list, and the theory is that you will be notified if/when I write something new (it doesn't always seem to work). And if you have any ideas for Elfwine Chronicles, be sure to e-mail them to me. I'm keeping a list to glance over periodically and seek inspiration. _**

**_Julia – "Elfwine looks like Imrahil? All this time I had been picturing him as a younger version of Eomer, but Tolkien did say in Unfinished Tales that Elfwine had a striking likeness to his grandpa on his mother's side." – I just found that out recently, and decided to include it. In my other stories, where he is younger (like under 10), I have him with blond hair and looking kind of like Eomer. So I guess I'm presuming his hair darkens and the resemblance to Imrahil becomes more pronounced as he gets older. _**

**_Frigg – "I have an Elfwine-story brewing, too - as a follow-up to "Like Fathers ..." where I have also hinted at a Gondor-Rohan alliance" – somehow I overlooked 'Like Fathers…', but I downloaded it and will read it over the weekend. Will look for your new Elfwine story too. _**

**Second Thoughts**

**Chapter 7**

While the circumstances were not exactly pleasant, both Elfwine and Dariel determined that his illness had some positives to it, including the chance to spend time together. Though they both could think of more agreeable ways to enjoy each other's company, this interlude seemed to break down a barrier they had been unable to entirely cross prior to this.

By the next day, Elfwine was improved, though he had little appetite and still had bouts of queasiness. He got up for a few hours at a time, but had to lie down often during the course of the day. When he was up, he would spend time with Dariel, working on her drawing, since that was the least strenuous thing he could find to do, and afforded time with her now that she no longer needed to sit with him.

Elfwine was pleased the following day to discover that the queasiness had also subsided, the sun had been shining the past two days and dried things out a bit, and he was more than ready to get outside. Remembering his intention to find a better horse for Dariel, he invited her to accompany him to the stables. She had already agreed to watch the younger children while her mother and his went shopping in town, so he kept her company until they returned.

Finally, they were ready to set out, and Elfwine was feeling so carefree that he almost forgot himself and took her hand. At the last moment, he remembered what he was about and hastily caught her elbow as if to guide her direction.

Dariel had noticed the movement of his hand, and thought for a moment he was going to clasp hers, so she was disappointed when he took her arm instead. He had been much in her thoughts these past few days, and she wondered why he was taking her to the stables. He had not explained his reason, saying only that it was a surprise.

He showed her around and 'introduced' her to several horses, watching for her reaction to them. One gray gelding seemed to win her affection almost immediately, and she delighted in feeding him the apple Elfwine had brought along.

"You like him," Elfwine commented, stating the obvious.

She nodded at him, laughing at the horse licking the juice from her fingers, "I do, very much! What is his name?"

Elfwine restrained a grin, wondering how she would react, "Er...his name is...Hobbit."

"What! Why?" she exclaimed, laughing more.

"My father says his manners remind him of the Hobbits he met during the War," Elfwine admitted.

"Well, I think he is wonderful – and, actually, the name does rather suit him! I met a Hobbit once when they came to visit my parents."

"Then he is yours," Elfwine told her.

She blinked in surprise, "What do you mean? You cannot give me a horse!"

"Why not? I have asked permission of my father and yours, and they are agreed. You need a steadier mount than the one you presently have."

Her face fell, and she blushed in embarrassment; so that was it, he was giving a tamer horse to the poor rider...

Elfwine couldn't help noticing that her good humor seemed to have fled, but was not sure why. "Dariel? Have I said something wrong? Do you not want him?"

She turned away so he wouldn't see the tears pricking her eyes, "No, I thank you for the gift. I know I am a poor rider and a safer mount is a good idea."

As Elfwine began to realize the offense he had given, he hastened to make amends, "No! That is not it at all! You are a fine rider, but I would not see you hurt. Some horses are just naturally flighty and they can be dangerous for anyone to ride. It is to your credit that you were even able to stay on him when he bolted, but you should not have had to know that terror in addition to the orc attack."

The concern was evident in his eyes, and when she turned toward him at his surprising words, she could not miss the honesty there.

"How is it that you are so different than other boys? None of the ones I know in Gondor treat me so well as you do."

Elfwine blushed, and shrugged, saying softly, "I do not know. I just treat you the way I see my father treat my mother."

She gave him a bemused smile and murmured, "Lucky woman, your mother!"

Elfwine blushed again, and then slowly stammered, "Would it be all right…would you mind if I—"

Before he could finish trying to get out his awkward question, she seemed to guess his purpose and her eyes shone warmly up at him. Her hand came up to his cheek and she leaned toward him expectantly.

Taking that as an indication of approval, Elfwine shyly lowered his lips to hers and pressed them gently into a kiss. He realized he didn't know what to do with his hands, but his father always put them around his mother when he kissed her, so he timidly raised them to her waist.

A short time later, he became aware that he was running out of breath, and reluctantly broke apart from her, eyeing her for signs of distaste. Instead, she stepped closer and laid her head on his chest. With a surprised grin, he lifted an arm to her back and held her. This was going much better than he had dared to hope!

A few more stolen kisses later, the couple finally returned to the Golden Hall, each quite pleased with the outcome of their jaunt to the stable.

Once inside, however, Dariel was again ensnared to help with the younger children and they were forced to part. Elfwine took the opportunity to go and tell his father which horse he had chosen for Dariel.

He found both King Elessar and Eldarion with his father, and he passed along his message. As they were laughing over the particular choice, and explaining to the Gondorians the reason for the horse's name, Elfwine's younger brother dashed into the room to tell them the midday meal was ready.

As they rose, the boy looked tauntingly up at his brother and announced, "I saw you and Dariel in the stable – kissing!" He made a face and ran back out of the room.

Elfwine's heart stopped and he looked up at the other men in the room to see their reaction. A moment later, Eldarion was advancing on him, demanding, "You were kissing my sister in the stables!" Elfwine had stood, but now backpeddled into his chair so quickly that both tumbled over, and he lay sprawled on the floor as Eldarion stood over him with hands on hip and glaring. The room seemed frozen in time for several minutes, and then Eldarion burst out laughing, offering him a hand up, "It is about time! I thought you would never get the nerve!"

Elfwine stared at him in disbelief, making no effort to reach for the extended hand. To his utter amazement, his father and King Elessar broke up with laughter as well, particularly after seeing the expression on his face. Finally, Eomer gained enough control and came over to reach down and pull him to his feet. "Do not be alarmed, son. No one is going to pummel you. We have just been wondering how long it would take you to realize your feelings and act on them."

The boy's face was bright red, but he swallowed hard and tried to good-naturedly accept their ribbing. _Did everyone know about his feelings for Dariel?_

Hesitantly, he asked, "Did Mother tell you?" He couldn't imagine his mother had broken his confidence.

"Does she know, also?" Eomer asked. "I should have known she would, but no, she did not tell us. The look on your face and your actions were more than enough." He put his arm around his son and pulled him into a hug, "Do not be too mortified, Elfwine. It was clear that both of you liked each other, but both of you were too shy to do anything about it. We have been hoping you would finally get past that before her time here is ended, so you could enjoy each other's company. Now, come. Let us go eat! We will speak no more of this and cause you further embarrassment." As an afterthought, he added, "However, your brother, I cannot vouch for..."

xxxxx

His father was right. His brother seemed bent on teasing him, but his mother soon put a stop to it. "Theomund, that is enough. Shall I punish you for spying on your brother?" Hastily shaking his head, Theomund lapsed immediately into silence and made sure not to remind his mother of the matter again. Elfwine gave her a grateful look, and Dariel looked equally relieved.

After eating, the pair decided to visit Lothiriel's garden. This time Elfwine did work up the courage to take her hand, and was pleased when she gave his a squeeze. Out of sight and hearing of their families, he told her, "I am sorry about my little brother. He saw us in the stable and announced it to our fathers and Eldarion."

Her hand flew to her mouth. "What did they say?" she asked timidly.

He smiled and turned to look in her lovely eyes, "They did not mind – though for a moment I thought Eldarion was going to kill me! He pretended to be outraged."

She laughed easily, "He would! I hope he did not alarm you too much." She tentatively raised her hand and rested it on his arm.

"Not too much. And you are worth it," he murmured. Some hair blew in his face and she reached to brush it back, and then their lips met again. It seemed to get easier every time they kissed, though neither was entirely comfortable yet with the process. But it helped knowing the other person wanted to kiss as much as they did.

They spent the afternoon just strolling or sitting, but mostly talking. Elfwine didn't think he had ever done that much talking with a girl, not even his sisters or mother, but once they got started, the words just seemed to flow out of him.

xxxxx

It came as no surprise to their parents and Eldarion that the two spent most of the remainder of the time in Rohan being together. Eldarion was a little sorry to lose his companion, but there were several young soldiers that he had become friends with and they included him when he wasn't involved in meetings with the two kings.

But too soon the fortnight was ended. Elfwine hated that they had wasted so much time before they were able to share their feelings, but he was glad that at least they had managed to have some time together. Dariel had promised to write to him, and though he wasn't much for letter writing, he fully intended to keep in touch with her. Hopefully there could be more frequent visits to Minas Tirith, or for her to return to Edoras.

As they stood in his mother's garden, saying their farewells away from prying eyes, Dariel considered carefully, then looked up into Elfwine's eyes. "When I return home, I will have a message for anyone who will listen. I have seen Rohan, and met its people. I think it is the most wonderful place on earth, especially since you are here!" she told him earnestly.

He smiled gently at her, and leaned down. Just before their lips met he whispered, "I thought we could win you over!"

THE END


End file.
